This weekend was the height of any weather forecasters dreams. They love an approaching storm and make the most of it. As the hours went by their predictions escalated. Usually south Jersey gets the edge of the snow but this was to be a nor'easter and they were estimating 8-10 inches of snow. As I lay in bed last night I revisited those childhood memories of being excited at the thought of no school. Now as an adult the only change is the venue. The thought of no work had me still awake at 12:30 and up at 5:30. By 6:45 my hopes were squashed. I put on my boots, coat and started the task of snow removal . There was about eight to nine inches at that time so I shoveled the back and was doing the front of the house when my girlfriend called and said no work. Yeah! but a little to late to lay in bed. So I finished up and went in to warm up. (It was 23 degrees) Its 10:30 and work never called me. Thank God for friends. I have been back out twice clearing the paths I made. I still have yet to clean off my car. I wish I could grab a sled and find a good hill. I don't think you ever get too old for that. Building a snow fort is out of the question. The neighbors would assume I really lost it. But memories of those times are wonderful to think about.
Forgive me as I digress.....
I remember when I was young (ugh!! now I sound like an old fart) we kids would all head out to play. Snowball fights, snowmen, and snow forts. Mom would put hot chocolate in my school thermos and we would snuggle down in our fort to drink it. Then our mothers would call us in as in our efforts to do all that we would not realize how cold it was and needed to warm up.
another good memory was when we would go sledding. Just not friends, but families. We would bundle up and head to the hill behind our neighbors house. This was a hill in the woods where you must navigate trees. Now I know some of the grand kids may have a hard time imagining Grandmom and Pop sledding, but they did. At one point, and forgive my failing memory, but grandmom flopped on Pop(or the other way around) and down the hill they went on top of each other and laughing all the way.
